Galapagos Archipelago by Eduardo Landazuri

The Galapagos Archipelago is a group of 13 volcanic Islands and a series of islets and rocks located right under the equator.

The Galapagos are a living museum of evolutionary changes; these Islands have a huge variety of exotic species like birds, land animals and plants not seen anywhere else.

The archipelago has been known by many different names, one of them been the Enchanted Islands because they seem to appear and disappear as you approach to them in the sea.

The Galapagos Islands gain fame when a young naturalist from England named Charles Darwin landed in 1835. Darwin arrived on the Islands aboard the HMS Beagle of the British Admiralty. During the voyage of the Beagle, Darwin collected and observed wild plants and animals, and increasingly pondered their origins and their immutability.

Galapagos Islands History

In 1535, Tomas de Berlanga, the then Bishop of Panama, sailed to Peru to settle a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and his lieutenants after the conquest of the Incas. After six days of drifting in the Pacific he arrived to Galapagos by chance.

He gave it the same name as the giant tortoises he encountered there: Galapagos. Berlanga and his crew found no fresh water on the first few Islands, and in fact, found only water saltier than the sea.

In his account of the adventure, he described the harsh, desert-like condition of the Islands and their trademark giant tortoises. He wrote about the marine iguanas, the sea lions and the many types of birds. He also noted the remarkable tameness of the animals that continue to thrill and delight modern visitors.

Following the bishop, the Islands were rarely visited and became the refuge for pirates preying on Spanish galleons and coastal towns. Subsequently they became the haunts of whalers and sealers.

The Galapagos Archipelago is owned by Ecuador and are maintained as part of that nation's national park system. About 97% of the Islands are part of the park, with the remainder being inhabited by about 24,000 people in four major communities.

About The Author

My name is Eduardo Landazuri (Zuri). I run a Galapagos travel information Web Site to promote these exotic Islands to the world. Visitors to the Galapagos islands will always have an exciting experience that will last in their hearts for a lifetime.

http://www.galapagos-islands-tourguide.com